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Roles in schools

Find out more about the wide range of jobs available in schools.

Schools benefit from a variety of different staff that support the learning and welfare of pupils. In addition to the main teacher in each classroom, there are many other jobs inside and outside of lessons that contribute to how a school runs and how pupils learn. These jobs are typically called support roles, and make up half of the workforce in schools.

Support roles will all be slightly different depending on the type of school you are working in, and the particular needs of pupils and parents in the area. People can also take on more than one type of role in one school, for example working as a bilingual teaching assistant in the classroom part time, while also working as a parent support advisor to their particular language community, or working as an invigilator during the examining period. Support roles are split into different types of general roles:

Administrative and management - these roles may not be involved directly with pupil learning, but help with the smooth running of a school in other ways

Facilities - these roles help children to flourish by creating a safe and healthy environment, such as by ensuring caretakers, cleaners and catering staff. 

Pupil support and welfare - these are roles which may take place inside and outside of school, and often deal with parents and carers as well as pupils to make sure a pupil can learn to their full potential.

Specialist and technical - these roles take place in the classroom where more technical skill is needed, for example in science or Information and Communication Technology (ICT), making sure lessons are safe for the teacher and pupils.

Teaching and learning support - these are roles in the classroom working with the main teacher to deliver education to pupils and help them learn.